Foot treating device



J. F. SCHWEBEL, sR

Foo'r TRATING DEV-ICE May 2.2, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v Filed April' 9, 1949 VIL Cttorneg May 22, 1951 .L F. scHwEBEL, SR 2,553,873

FOOT TREATING DEVICE Filed April 9, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L/NE @fig-4 3] www 33 46 CACAO) f5 Inventor Patented May 22, 1951 UNITED STATES ASENT OFFICE FOOT TREATING DEVICE John F. Schwebel, Sr., Van Nuys, Calif.

Application April 9, 1949, Serial No. 86,459

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a foot-treating device and to a method for treating and thereby alleviating the aches and pains attending bloodcirculating deficiencies in the pedal extremities.

Regardless of the cause of impaired circulation in the extremities of the body, it is recognized that massage and/or diathermy will aid, at least, to ease the pains attending the same. Other physiological or anatomical conditions may result in the need of the body extremities, particularly the feet, for such treatment to alleviate pain. I have found that by treating the feet with a combination of heat, mild electric shock administered in pulsations rather than continuously, and vibration, material improvement of the condition thereof Will result.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a device for treating abnormal circulation conditions in the feet by providing heat and pulsating or intermittent electric shock simultaneously to the soles of the feet and then subsequently providing heat and vibration simultaneously.

Another object of the invention is to provide a foot treating device for applying heat and vibration to successively different portions of the soles of the feet.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the type indicated, novel means for producing a pulsating electric shock and to isolate the circuit thereof from the current source for the safety of thepatient.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel foot-treating unit that incorporates both heatand vibration-producing means and which is movable by the soles of the feet to engage with successively different portions of said soles.

A further object of the invention is to provide the mentioned foot-treating unit with pads or buttons that engage the metatarsus to treat the same while heat is being applied to the soles of the feet.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel foot-treating method wherein heat, pulsating electric shock and vibration are employed.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully ap- 2 pear in the course of the following description. However, the drawings merely show and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a foot-treating device according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view as taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view as taken on line 8 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4. is a Wiring diagram of the electrical components of the device. The foot-treating device that is illustrated comprises, generally, a housing 5 divided into 'two symmetrically arranged foot-treating sections 6 and l, generally flat immovable foot-engageable means 8 mounted on section 6, cylindrical and rotational foot-engageable means 9 mounted in section l, means Ii] for heating of both the means 8 and 9, means II for passing an intermittent or pulsating electric current through the means 8, means I2 for isolating said pulsating current from the line or source of electric current, and means I3 housed within the means 9 for vibrating the latter.

The housing 5 comprises a generally rectangular box IA that has a top which includes opposite sloping walls I5 and I6 that are connected at the middle of the top by a horizontal wall il. The walls I5 and I6 slope downward from wall Il toward the respective opposite ends of the box, the wall I5 dening the top of section t and the wall i5 dening the top of section l. A bottom closure plate I8 is provided for the box. The interior of the latter may be divided by a partition I9 which may be heat insulated as may also be the other walls of the box. For convenience of handling, the wall Il may bear a handle 28 by means of vwhich the device may be positioned relative to a patient.

The means 8 comprises a pair of metal plates 2| that are mounted, side-by-side, on wall l5 and of a size to receive the soles of the feet of a patient. An opening 22 is provided in wall I5 beneath each plate 2l substantially as shown.

The means 9 comprises a metal drum or cylinder 23 that is closed by end plates 24. Shock mounts 25 or the like, mount the cylinder to the side Walls of box I4 so that the upper portion thereof extends through an opening 26 provided in wall I6. Said shock mounts are conventional items that mount the cylinder for rotation and also for limited vibratory movement. Said shock mounts may be rubberor spring-cushioned. Rotation of the cylinder is limited to approximately three-fifths of a full revolution by providing suitably placed projections 21 on the cylinder, the same being adapted to engage under face of Wall I6. It will be evident that by placing the soles of the feet on that portion of the cylinder which extends above wall lf3 and by moving the feet in a forward and backward oscillatory movement, said cylinder will be oscillated and successively diiferent portions of the soles will be in engagement with the surface of the cylinder.

If treatment of the metatarsus of the feet is desired, a pair of button-like pads 2B aremounted, side-by-side, on the cylinder-one to engage the metatarsus of each foot with somewhat more pressure than the pressure on the remainder' of the soles.

The heating means l@ comprises an electrical heating unit 29 beneath each plate 2l and within opening 22, a similar heating unit 30 at each side of cylinder 23 and lining the inside thereof, a heat-controlling potentiometer 3 l, and a switch 32. An electric circuit from a current source represented by the line 33 connects said units 29 and 3.0, said potentiometer 3l and said switch 32 in series as indicatedin Fig. 4. If desired, an independent switch may be provided for units 30 so that these or units 29 may be separately or simultaneously connected into the circuit to 'line 33.

The means l I for passing a pulsating or intermittent current through plates 2l includes the isolating means l2, -in this case, a one-to-one transformer, for purposes of absorbing any overload on line 33 for the safety of a patient having his feet engaged with said plates.Y Said means l I comprises a `current interrupter device34that is connected toline 33 through one pole 35-of a single-pole double-throw switchV 33, a flasher lamp31 connected across said interrupter device, a resistance, suchas lamp 38 in series with lamp 31 and the primary winding 39 of transformer I2 and both connected across lamp 31, and a series circuit, including a shock-controlling potentiometer 49, connecting'the-secondary Winding 4I of transformerlZ and plates 29.

The interrupter, which may be a conventional thermostatically controlled asher device, when closed, shorts across lamps 31 and 38 and across primary 39. Line currentpassing throughvthe interrupter Will cause the same `to open so that said current will then pass through the lampsand primary. Opening and closing of the interrupter is periodic to cause flashing of lamp31 andv inftermittent energization of primary 39. Thus, the induced current conveyed to plates 2|, as controlled by potentiometer .49, is intermittent rather than continuous. Since the patient bridges and, thereby, closes the circuit across plates 2l, the soles of the feet on said plates 2| are, therefore, subjected to a series of mild electric shocks of a pulsating nature that have been found to be more beneficial than continuously appliedshock current.Y The flashes of lamp 31 may be seen through tell-tale 42 to indicate whether or not the Operationis proper. y The vibrating means i3 comprises an electric 4 motor 43 mounted within cylinder 23, and a vibrator unit 44, also mounted within said cylinder, and driven by the motor through a flexible coupling 45. The motor is connected in a circuit to the line 33 through the other pole 46 of switch 36.

The vibrator unit 44 has an eccentric Weight 41 therein that is rotated by the motor and, due to its eccentricity, imparts vibration to' cylinder 23. Such vibration is, thereby, transmitted to the soles of feet resting upon the outer surface of said cylinder.

T `A preferred foot-treating method is to first subject the soles of the feet to heat and to intermittent Vor pulsating electric shocks for a suitable period of time. The time will vary for different patients. The vamount of heat provided will be varied as also will the intensity of the current. Then, after a suitable interval, the soles are subjected to heat and vibration, but, rather than to the entire soles, to successive portions-thereof. Finally, should the metatarsus also require treatment, a suitable heat and vibration treatment may be performed .by providing increased and more localized pressure at these points of the foot. Vifhile the invention that has been illustrated and described is nowregarded asthe preferred embodiment, the construction is.,of course, subject to modiiications without departing from the spirit and scope of the-invention. It istherefo,re, not desired to restrict the invention to the particular Eform of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention,lwhat I claim. and desire to-secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a foot-treating device, ahollow drum mounted for oscillation by the soles of the feet of a patient engaged :with-the router surface of said drum, resilient mounts for the drum, heating! means within the drum lto heat said foot-engag-Y ing surface, and a vibrator within the drum for vibrating the same on its resilient'mounts while the feet of the patient are oscillating the drum.

2. In a foot-treating' device, a hollow drum mounted for oscillation by the solesof thefeet of a patient engaged withv the outer surface of said drum, resilient mounts for the drum; heating means within the drum to heat said foot-engaging surface, a vibrator within the drum for vibrating the same on its `resilient mounts while the feet of the patient -are oscillatingthe drum, and a pair of pads mounted side-by-side on vthe'outerdrum surface for pressing on the metatarsi of the feet engaging `the drum. v x

JOHN F. SCHWEBEL, SR;

- REFERENCES CITED- YThe following references areI of record inthe file of this patent: e UNITED STATES PAfIENTs Number Namev Date v 720,020 Grimshaw` Feb. 10, 1903 2,003,392 Rucker Junei, 1935 2,174,648 Solinski i 1 Oct..3,.1939 2,226,514 Pignolet Dec..24, 1940 2,235,158 Krenzke Mar. 18, 1941 2,447,269

Myers Aug. 1'1, 1948 

